I actually had quite the opposite experience. Due to bots and trade seasons are just a race that expires in no time. Meanwhile i just played offline and farmed stuff for years at my pace without many issues, and the game lasted forever for me.
The mindset is that i don't need the best item. I want to hunt for the best items. When i get those, the hunt is over and the game aswell. If i buy those, the game stops before actually starting (but it's only my opinion).